History of Men Knitting

Me and my toolbox (first year of apprenticeship) 2012

It always amazes me how much we make assumptions about other people.  Usually I run into people at work that are very excited to see a female working as an automotive technician.  Most of the shops I have worked in were predominantly staffed with males.  Eventually the knitting comes up, either I start talking about it at work, or I work on a project at lunch.  It seems to blow people away.  It's as if knitting is a hobby that is way too feminine for someone who works on cars.  Well guess what, just as the automotive world is not exclusively male, the knitting world is not exclusively female.  In fact, this stigma of knitting being too girly for men is a relatively contemporary idea.  Men have a very rich knitting history dating back hundreds of years.

Around the 1400s knitted items were becoming increasingly popular.  With the Renaissance there was a large advancement in metalworking.  This means many wonderful things for society including the invention and mass-production of knitting needles.  This helped transform knitting from an exclusively luxury item to something more accessible to the average person.  Both men and women were knitting at the time but it was men who began to knit as a profession and all-male knitting guilds began to appear.  They worked much like a labour union; established to protect secrets of the craft, improve the quality of the profession, and to create business. These knitting guilds were for serious knitters only though.  To become a master knitter one would have to undertake a rigorous apprenticeship of three years training from master knitters as well as three years travelling to learn the craft and various techniques.  Once you returned you would be subjected to a thirteen week exam knitting various garments to prove you were worthy of being allowed into the knitting guild.  Sounds like some pretty tough stuff!

To gain full membership to the Hand-Knitters’ Guild of Strasbourg, knitters had to knit a wall hanging patterned with flowers, like this one. Adam and Eve appear beneath a central panel depicting Jacob’s Dream. France, 1781.
Photo found here. 

Skip ahead to the 16th century and the invention of the knitting machine by William Lee.  This revolutionized the craft, being able to crank out about 7 million stitches per minute.  This ended up making hand-knit items obsolete and found its way into the home as more of a domestic art typically practiced by females.  

Men began to return to hand-knitting with the first and second world wars.  People everywhere would pick up the needles and yarn as a wartime effort to aid the troops.  There was a large need for socks, bandages, helmet liners, mittens...etc.  Young boys and girls were even taught how to knit in school.  

In May 1918 the Seattle School Bulletin printed this patriotic knitting song:

Boys knitting socks; Seattle, 1918

"Johnnie, get your yarn, get your yarn, get your yarn;

Knitting has a charm, has a charm, has a charm,

See us knitting two by two,

Boys in Seattle like it too.

Hurry every day, don’t delay, make it pay.

Our laddies must be warm, not forlorn mid the storm.

Hear them call from o’re the sea,

‘Make a sweater, please for me.’

Over here everywhere,

We are knitting for the boys over there,

It’s a sock or a sweater, or even better

To do your bit and knit a square."

Poem and photo found here.

Now knitting has come back as more of a recreational hobby then a necessity.  Men of all ages and walks of life are picking up the needles for the same reasons as women do.  Knitting has even been introduced into male prisons as a way to help rehabilitate the prisoners.  With knitting comes a wonderful community of fellow crafters, and a fantastic outlet for creativity.    It is a relaxing, meditative craft that has been proven to relieve stress.  

This pretty well brings us up to modern day knitting.  I'll wrap up the history lesson for now but keep your eyes peeled for further blog posts and I will talk much more about current male knitters.  

More on the history of knitting: 

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/FEAThistory101.html
www.huffingtonpost.com/carolyn-bucior/men-who-knit_b_3860427.html

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATknitlikeaman.html
http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/knitting/knitting-how-it-all-began-52451

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/FEATpointyman.html

http://sheepandstitch.com/the-history-of-knitting-pt-2-madonnas-stockings-and-guilds-oh-my/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourGrandmothersKnitting

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90

Starting out on Etsy

My Etsy store within the first few months of opening

It has now been almost two years since I started my Etsy shop in Feb 2013.  There have been quite a few changes since that time. And a lot of lessons learned (some easier than others).  Recently I've spent some time reviewing all the things I have learned in the past two years, and have decided to share some of them here for any prospective Etsy shop owners.

Etsy makes it pretty easy to start up a shop, but it can be a tricky path from listing your first 8 items to becoming a successful shop owner.  The best place to find helpful advice is in the various listings of the Seller's Handbook.  The start up of your shop can be a lot of trial ad error so remember that it is all a learning process. No one expects you to get it all right the first time around. I have included a few basic tips on getting your listings up and running.

Photography is key. With online shoppers the first thing that will catch their eyes will be your photos.  You don't have to start out as an expert photographer but there are some good rules to keep in mind.  Use up all 5 of the photo slots available.  It may be difficult at first but this gives you the opportunity to show off your product to potential customers.   Try to keep a similar theme between your 5 photos, and even between the photos of other products you have listed.  Play around with your photography and try including things to show the size, or potential use for your items.  You can even include photos of the item being made or finished packaging.  This helps potential customers get a peak into your creative process and imagine the item that they will be receiving.

More on photography

Another very important aspect is writing.  What you put down for product titles, descriptions and tags have a huge impact on drawing in your potential customers.  I have found this is a constantly evolving process and may take some tinkering to get the combination just right.  

The descriptors you use in your titles and tags will go a long way with helping to get your items noticed.  Product titles should describe what you are selling in a few, detailed phrases.  The title should be clear about what you are selling.  It is helpful to lead with the most important keywords of your product in the title.  When reviewing your item try to think like a buyer.  What terms would you be searching for to ultimately find your product?

Item descriptions can be a little harder.  Take some time to review your product and think of any questions a customer will have.  Always lead with the most important information first.  Remember, this is the opportunity to answer any questions your customer may have so be sure to include important information such as sizing, materials used, and what the item is intended for.  The most important thing is to be yourself and write in your own voice.  This is a chance to interact with your customers and a little personality in your listings will go a long way.  Lastly be sure to review your description before publishing.  You want to make sure that your sentences are concise and there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

More on item descriptions

An update screenshot of my Etsy shop, Jan 2015

Coming up with 13 tags can seem like a daunting task at first.  A helpful way to start is by asking yourself a few key questions about your product.  What is it?  Who or what is your product made for?  What materials or colours does it come in?  I find it very helpful to make a mind map and write down any descriptors of my items that I can think of.  Remember that you can use phrases in your tags as well.  Take some time every couple of months to review your tags.  It is important to pay attention to you shop stats for not only the tags that are regularly used, but also to what is not being searched for.  I have found it very helpful to look at other items on Etsy that are similar to what I have listed, and what tags have been used.

More on tagging

I'm always happy to talk shop about my knitting or about Etsy so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Or maybe I've inspired you to start up an Etsy store of your own.  If so, click this link to open up a store with 40 free listings.  Thanks for reading!

More on starting an Etsy shop:https://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/top-10-tips-for-starting-an-etsy-business/ 

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/learn-by-doing-embracing-your-inner-entrepreneur/

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/how-to-get-serious-about-your-etsy-shop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourGrandmothersKnitting

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90

Island Yarn Bomb

During the holidays we went back to Boland's Island.  Suie was off in Ontario for a few weeks and Wifey was the caretaker while she was gone.  We decided it was the perfect time to leave Suie a few gifts around the island.

Before we went up I emptied out my "in progress" bin and took a few lone scraps from my stash.  During the drive up I was furiously knitting away more beautiful bits of yarn to add on.

 Taking a look around the island was a little overwhelming at first.  I wanted to cover everything in yarn!  You run into logistical problems pretty quickly though when deciding what to yarn bomb. 

"This handle is perfect!  It's easy to get to and right in the sun!"

"You mean the cat bed?"

"...oh."

I should have yarn bombed it anyways.  At least the cat would have been happy.

The coffee pot handle seemed like a great place to add a cozy.  In reality though the yarn on the handle kept riding up when you grabbed the coffee pot, so that idea was scrapped.  The coffee mugs though were perfect!  There are no doors on the cupboards in the kitchen so you see all the beautiful bright mug cozies as soon as you walk in.

 For Christmas I made Bonnie a purple crochet Ewok hood.  It is my first large crochet project and I have to say I am very happy with the pattern!   It was so easy to follow and the hood turned out wonderfully.  She loved the hood so much that she requested I make a bunch of interchangeable beards for it.  

On the way out we decided to tackle the gate that marks the entrance to Boland's Island.  We grabbed the rest of the yarn and went to town on it.  It was a pretty wonderful new years and I know Suie is going to love it!

It's not a hobby, it's a post-apocalyptic life skill.

What did you get up to during the holidays?  I would love to see any photos of Christmas gifts or projects that people made during the season.  Let me know!!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourGrandmothersKnitting

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90

Hal Con 2014

So Hal-Con has now come and gone.  It was a crazy wild weekend filled with pretty well everything that you would want in a convention.  There were costumes everywhere you looked, celebrities for autographs and photos, panel discussions on all things from the world of Wheadon to cheese puns.  This was my third year attending Hal-Con but my first year with a vendor table.

I split the table with my partner in crime Raymond Dejardens, writer of comics Shenanigans Tales and Teva One.  My table was filled with the usual suspects, Cunning Jayne hats, Pokeballs, Star Trek Drink cozies, bow ties, and geeky cat toys.  As well I had a few exclusive items made for Hal-Con such as the Scott Pilgrim hat and T.A.R.D.I.S clutch purse.

There was quite a lot of interest from people on the craft itself.  Fellow knitters or crocheters loved chatting me up about my projects and talking about different techniques.  There were event quite a few people who wanted to know if I would teach them the basics of knitting.  It was very exciting.  Now I am filled with ideas to get a geeky stitch and bitch started in Halifax.

Handmade items were everywhere.  On the 1st floor in the exhibition area there were a couple other knit/crochet artists such as Little Bits and Out of the Broom Closet.  Plus there were so many knitted costume items that went by.  I saw someone with a crochet Link hat, and another with a knitted dwarf beard. 

One woman even made her own twilek hat and lightsabers for her and her husband.  

Then the next day she showed up in a crochet yoda hat!

Everywhere you looked there was madness happening.  Costumes of all shapes and sizes.  It was Definitely a weekend to bring extra batteries for the camera.  Day 1 I was dressed up as a unicorn and wore my wonderful horn from Kaidáin Ivy’s Sanctuary for Magical Misfits.

I spent the day prancing around and being generally magical when another horn popped up in the crowd.  

Immediately we ran to each other and high fives ensued.  

For day two I ventured out as the infamous Han Solo, complete with handmade wooden blaster and leather holster.  It seemed to be a good day for it as I ran into two other Han Solo cosplayers.  We discussed at length the differences between our costumes.  My blaster and holster were the envy of the other Solos.  Mostly because my holster was attached with a seat belt bucket which made for easy removal. (You don't want to have to fiddle with your holster when the time comes to go to the bathroom.  Functionality is cosplay 101).

Now that the weekend is over I don't know what to do with myself.  Guess it's time to get the holiday knitting started.  Or maybe I should just keep making Cunning Jayne hats.  The fun never ends!

See all my Hal-Con 2014 photos here.

More on Hal-Con: http://hal-con.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourGrandmothersKnitting

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90